Starbucks
by AintFraidaNoGhosts
Summary: Rose needs a little pick-me-up and drags the Doctor into the nearest Starbucks. Wackiness ensues. Birthday fic for scifigeekgirl. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


The Doctor tugged Rose happily through the streets of Pittsburgh, determined to make the next T to the Carnegie Science Center. He was taking her stargazing, and the roof of this place happened to be the best viewpoint for the bi-millenial Arboreias Meteor Shower. With a few tweaks to the telescope with his sonic, Rose would be able to view one of the most gorgeous heavenly shows known to man.

If she would only _hurry up_.

"Doctor, slow down!" Rose yawned. "What is so important that it can't wait?"

"Oh, Rose!" He turned back to her and grinned. "If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise! So just hush your pretty little mouth and relax!"

Rose flushed a bit and gave him a small smile, and it was a split second before he realized the implications of what he'd said. He turned away, unable to face her for fear of pulling her into his arms and snogging her right in the middle of the street on this clear, crisp autumn evening.

"We on a schedule here?" Rose called to him. "Because I could use a pick-me-up and there's a Starbucks right across the street."

The Doctor screeched to a halt, causing many people walking near them to cry out in alarm and Rose to physically run into his chest, his arms coming up to steady her. "I'm sorry...a _what_?"

"You've never heard of Starbucks? Really? You're _how_ old? It's a coffee chain."

"Oh, Rose, you know better than to drink coffee from a _chain_ of shops! Absolutely zero quality! Nah, you want a mom and pop place, and I happen to know of a fantastic shop about a ten minute walk iiiiiiiiinnnn..." He thought for a moment, trying to orient himself in the city before pointing back in the direction they'd come. "..._that_ direction."

"'S not like that. I love their coffee, just couldn't always afford it back home. And besides," she grinned at him, tongue caught between her teeth and making his cheeks grow warm. "Thought we were on a schedule?"

"Well, _technically_..."

"Come on, Doctor," she told him, running her hand up his chest to his shoulder and giving him _that face_. The one that he always had a difficult time refusing.

Oh, hell...who was he kidding? He had a difficult time refusing all of Rose's faces. That was just a fact.

"Oh, fine." He huffed, squeezing the hand he still held and tugging her across the street. "But I am not getting anything."

"Sure, sure," she teased, allowing him to hold the door open for her as she pulled him in the shop after her.

Immediately, he was awash in the smell of roasted coffee. He breathed deeply, eyes closing involuntarily, immediately sensing that these beans were, indeed, _very_ high quality. There was a huge variety of scents mingling, some roasts dark or light, Latin American or African. He even could sense a few blends from Asia.

As they got closer to the counter, one certain scent pulled him in. It was definitely a coffee, and he zeroed in quickly on the dark bags displayed prominently in front of the counter. They read "Shirkina Sun-Dried Sidamo" and smelled of black cherries and chocolate. He could barely get enough.

"Hi, what can we get for you today?" a plump young man in glasses asked cheerfully from behind the counter.

"Hello!" Rose greeted. "I'd love a grande java chip frappuccino, please."

The barista grabbed a sharpie and a clear plastic mug, marking it as he repeated her drink order. "Whipped cream on that?"

"Oh, yes please!"

"Coming right up!" he replied. "Anything for you, sir?"

The Doctor glanced up from the rather hypnotizing scent coming from the innocuous little half-pound bags, finally noting what Rose had ordered. "Rose, what was that ridiculous concoction that you ordered? Farpercheeter?"

"Frappuccino," Rose replied patiently. "Sort of a coffee milkshake. Really good, you'd like it."

"Same as her then, please...although...oooooooh," he breathed, finally looking at the menu. "Tea lattes, they sound delightful. And passion tea lemonade? Oh, _green tea lemonad_e..."

"Doctor, trust me, frappuccino is the way to go."

"Well, who am I to argue with Rose Tyler?" he asked, grinning at her. "Same as her then."

"Two grande java chip frappuccinos with whip!" He jotted the order down on another plastic cup and handed them over to the young girl at the bar. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"One of those banana chocolate chip muffins. Welllll...maybe two. Four. Definitely six." The Doctor told him. "And a few bags of this delightfully-aromaed coffee here."

"Oh, the Shirkina!" the barista exclaimed. "Love that coffee. Chocolate and black cherries."

"Oh, brilliant! You know, I've been to Ethiopia. Not to harvest coffee, mind you. Gorgeous place, brought some heat-resistant genetically engineered crops that don't require much water...now that is about two decades from now..."

The barista was looking at them oddly and Rose laughed. "Doctor, you forget not everyone gets your jokes." She patted his arm and handed over a few American bills when the barista gave them the total. Very soon after, he gave them a bag with the muffins and the coffee and their drinks were called at the end of the bar.

"Wanna sit for a minute?" Rose asked, nodding her head towards one of the plush couches.

"_Roooooooose_," he whined. "We have that thing..."

"We live in a time machine," she replied patiently. "I think we can spare a bit."

He glanced over at the lovely, deep green velour. They had a fire going, definitely not wood-burning but still providing a nice warmth from the cool October night. The sight was quite welcoming and the idea of enjoying it with Rose next to him? Well...it was near impossible to refuse.

"Oh, all right then," he sighed, pulling Rose down onto the sofa and absently taking a sip of his beverage.

Immediately, the taste of two beautiful women making out exploded on his tongue. He had to fight back a groan at the cool, creamy, chocolate-y, coffee-y goodness flooded his senses.

"Oh, Rose..." he moaned. "Of all your brilliant ideas, this is the most...well..._brilliantest_..."

"Brilliantest?" Rose giggled, sipping her own beverage. "Frappuccino turn you goofy then?"

"Mmmm," he replied, feeling almost euphoric from the utter Heaven-In-A-Cup that he was currently ingesting. "I think it's more Rose Tyler that turns me goofy."

She froze, the green straw halfway to her lips. "Doctor? Everything all right?"

"Peachy," he said, gazing at Rose. She was so utterly beautiful in the fading evening light and the flickering from the fire. He tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Something is a bit odd with my brain chemistry, but I can't find it in me to care at the moment."

"Doctor..."

Before she could continue he leaned forward and kissed her, her lips cool and sweet from her own drink and the combined taste made him groan. He deepened the kiss and Rose whimpered, gripping his upper arms and kissing him back just as hungrily, making his head swim even more than it already was.

"Rose," he whispered as she pulled away to take a breath. "Rose, I think that there's something in this beverage that's causing me to drop my inhibitions, throw caution to the wind, and tell you everything that has been in my hearts ever since I first met you."

"You sure you're all right?" she asked breathlessly, running her fingers over his face and causing his eyes to fall shut at the sensation.

"Yep, just fine. Nothing life-threatening...though the fact that I'm not kissing you right now might be..." He captured her lips once more.

"Doctor," Rose murmured against his mouth. "Are you sure about this?"

"Oh, yes," he practically growled, moving his lips to her ear. "I've never been more sure. I want to take this whipped cream and smear it all over your body. Then I want to lick it off, little by little, until you've forgotten everything except how to scream my name."

"Oh, _God_," Rose gasped, her hands moving to his hair. "But what about...the thing..."

"We'll come back in two thousand years. Right now, I need you back at the TARDIS," he said, standing up brusquely and pulling her close to him. "Run?"

Rose grinned. "Run," she agreed. As he whisked her out of the shop, the barista behind the counter gave them a smile and a wink.

* * *

_God, I love Starbucks_, Rose thought as the Doctor tugged her through the streets. _Nothing better than chocolate, coffee, and a randy Time Lord._

When they finally reached the TARDIS, the Doctor pressed her against the door and gave her a heated grin, grasping his cup in one hand, dipping his finger into the chocolate-drizzled whipped cream on the top and plopping it on her nose. Rose giggled, her laughter turning to squeals as he leaned in and licked it off.

"I am giving you a ten second head start," he murmured. "GO!"

Rose laughed and pushed through the TARDIS doors, taking a mental note as she scampered through the ship to write Howard Schultz a highly complimentary letter as soon as he let her out of bed.

She finally got around to writing said letter about a week later.


End file.
